December 23, 2012

Ansar al Sharia Tunisia releases pictures of FBI agents

The official media outlet for Ansar al Sharia Tunisia has released pictures purportedly showing three FBI agents who interviewed Ali al Harzi, a suspect in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. The release of the pictures online was first noticed by the SITE Intelligence Group.

The US government had been seeking access to Harzi for more than two months, since he was arrested in Turkey and deported to his native Tunisia in October. Harzi's lawyer told the Associated Press yesterday (Dec. 22) that the FBI had finally been given permission to interview him.

The interview last three hours and was conducted in front of the judge hearing Harzi's case, with the help of a Moroccan translator.

According to the AP, the FBI asked Harzi not only about the Benghazi attack, but also the assault on the US Embassy in Tunis three days later (Sept. 14). Ansar al Sharia Tunisia, which is headed by a notorious al Qaeda-linked jihadist named Seifullah ben Hassine (a.k.a. Abu Iyad al Tunisi), orchestrated that assault.

If the pictures are of the interviewing FBI agents, then it shows that Ansar al Sharia Tunisia was stalking the Americans. Indeed, in its message announcing the photos online, the group claimed that "despite being forcefully prevented from taking pictures, we were able to take some exclusive pictures."